Aboriginal Health Group
University of Alberta
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Executive Committee
 

Aboriginal Health Group Executive 2010-2011




Aimee Rodriguez
Co-President

My name is Aimee Rodriguez and I am a first year medical student from Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation, MB. As Co-President of the Aboriginal Health Group, I will educate students on the importance of providing holistic healthcare when working with Aboriginal patients. My undergraduate degree was devoted to learning about contemporary and historical Aboriginal issues and ways to rebuild our nations into strong and healthy self-sufficient communities; the Aboriginal Governance and Partnership Certificate provides me with a knowledge base in management issues, negotiation strategies, Aboriginal law, governance, and policy. Such knowledge can be applied to overcome barriers in achieving holistic healthcare through the development of culturally appropriate programming and the promotion of culturally competent care.

 



Laura Brookbanks
Co-President

Laura Brookbanks grew up in southern Alberta in a small community outside of Calgary.
She's starting her third year of Biology at the University of Alberta. She hopes enter
into a nursing program or a Masters in Public Health after she graduates. Laura served in
the AHG last year as VP Membership.  Laura has volunteered since high school, working in
the peer support program there, with the special needs classroom and mentoring younger
students. After high school she volunteered in a special needs workshop in Nova Scotia
and a natural medicine laboratory in Cuba. In 2008, she was part of a group that won the
Davis Projects for Peace grant and helped set up a water quality laboratory in Panama.
This year, she has won that grant again, for a project to build a nutrition centre in
rural Guatemala.



Rebecca Howse
Vice President Programs

My name is Rebecca Howse and I am a Metis woman.  I am a first year medical student and I am passionate about improving the health of my people.  I have experienced firsthand many of the health struggles that aboriginal people face and am dedicated to help improve the experiences of others.  I want to be your vice president programs because I want to be more involved in this organization and make a difference in my community.  I am interested in balancing traditional and western medicine to create truly effective healing.

I have been involved with the Aboriginal health Group since I started medicine in the fall.  I have received the training for the Culturally Appropriate Tobacco Use program.  I have shown my commitment by offering my time to present.  I have also been part of Beading with Spirit with Clifford Cardinal.  This is an example of my connection to my community and a willingness to learn traditional skills that I did not previously have.  I am also participating in community based participatory research at Enoch, where we have met with the community and are striving to fill in the gaps in their health care needs and health education. For example, I helped create a presentation about diabetes medication for the diabetes group at Enoch.  This shows my dedication to improve my community and educate about important health issues. In my Bachelor of Science degree at Concordia University College of Alberta, I was the founder and president of the Concordia Science Club where I organized the first ever Science week among other events.   I am capable of working as part of a team to organize programs and implement new ideas.



Renée Leblanc
Vice President Communications

 Aanii (Hello), my name is Renée Leblanc, I from Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and I have Ojibwa roots from Nipissing First Nation. Last year, I completed an honour Bachelor Degree in Physical and Health Education with a concentration in Health Promotion and Electives in Native Studies at Laurentian University in Sudbury. The health of my heritage is of great importance to me; therefore, my passion to study health has allowed me to continue my education within a health promotion setting. I am currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Health Degree with a specialization in Health Promotion at the University of Alberta. My intended year of graduation for this graduate program is April 2011. 

I believe my heritage as Anishnaabe-kweg (Aboriginal woman) allows me to lead an active role at helping Aboriginal people all over Canada overcome health disparities and obtain optimal health status, based on the traditional teachings of the Medicine Wheel.

In terms of my employment experience, I am currently working as a graduate research assistant at the Addictive and Mental Health Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta. In the past, I participated in creating, implementing, and delivering several culturally based health promotion programs for First Nation communities around Sudbury, Ontario. To name a few, these programs include, creating and coordinating an Aboriginal Health Awareness Day for public health workers at the Sudbury & District Health Unit, coordinating a Anishnaabe-Kweg Water Journey around Lake Ramsey, deliver smoking prevention workshops on commercial tobacco to youth and educate them about the traditional use of Semaa (Tobacco), and facilitate type II diabetes prevention workshops at the Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre in Sudbury.

I believe that obtaining the role of Vice-President of Communications within the Aboriginal Health Group Executive Committee at the University of Alberta would allow me to grow, learn from others strengths and weaknesses, and share my knowledge of health promotion to individuals who wish to learn. It would be a great honour for me and my community back home to represent our people in such a dynamic group.



Cayla Gilbert
Vice President Membership

Hello! My name is Cayla Gilbert and I am the VP of Membership for the 2010/2011 school year. I am currently entering my second year of Medicine. As an undergrad at the University of Calgary I completed a BSc in biology and a BA in social and cultural anthropology. I am also the mother to a lovely 2 and a half year old girl, Azalea. I am very happy to be a part of the Aboriginal Health Group this year. As a Métis woman I strongly believe that health awareness and advocacy initiatives that focus on an aboriginal perspective on health have the most power to effect change in our communities. When health care is approached with a culturally competent point of view that focuses on balance and healing, then wellness can be achieved within our First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. I look forward to having an integral role in raising awareness about aboriginal health at the U of A, in Edmonton, across Canada and abroad.  



Heather Makinaw
Vice President Volunteers

Heather Makinaw is Plains Cree and from Ermineskin Cree Nation in Hobbema, Alberta. She is currently in her second year of a Bachelors of Art in Sociology and Minor in Native Studies at the University of Alberta. Heather also has a certificate in Aesthetics from Blanche Macdonald Center in Vancouver, BC. She is currently a member of Arts Aboriginal Student Council and has done numerous of volunteering work with the Aboriginal organizations on campus. She is also speaks to Aboriginal youth on student panels around the community. Heather wants to finish her degree at the University of Alberta and go to Law School afterwards. She likes be outdoors and plays guitar in her spare time. Her goal is promote more Aboriginal awareness about the Culturally Appropriate Tobacco Project.



Melissa Harrison
Vice President Financial

 My name is Melissa Harrison, I am 29 years old and entering my third year of nursing in Fall 2010. I am a Cree Metis, my family is from Alberta. I have casually volunteered with the Aboriginal Health Group for two years, mostly helping out with the speaker series. I am interested in eventually working with pregnant and nursing Aboriginal mom's and their children.